Cynthia Weese

Cynthia Weese, FAIA, was a founding partner of Weese Langley Weese, a distinguished Chicago architecture firm, and taught widely before becoming dean of the School of Architecture at Washington University in 1993. Since stepping down as dean in 2005, she has continued her practice.

Weese earned a Bachelor of Science in Architectural Sciences in 1962 and a Bachelor of Architecture in 1965, both from Washington University, and was awarded the Alpha Rho Chi Medal for excellence in service, leadership, and professional promise. She worked independently for several years before joining Joe Karr & Associates, a landscape architecture firm, in 1971. She returned to independent practice again in 1974, following two years at Harry Weese & Associates.

Since its founding in 1977, Weese Langley Weese has been involved in both new construction and adaptive reuse projects throughout the country. The firm has worked for many colleges and universities, including Grinnell College, Williams College, and Regis University. It also has built hundreds of units of affordable housing. The firm has had several projects with the Art Institute of Chicago and the School of the Art Institute. Recent work includes projects for the University of Chicago and Northwestern University. The firm’s buildings have received many design awards.

In 1993, Weese became professor and dean of the School of Architecture at Washington University, the first woman dean of a school at the University. During her tenure, she initiated international study programs, introduced computer technology initiatives, and enhanced the technology and design curricula. A founding member of the School of Architecture’s National Council, Weese, dean emerita, is currently a member of the Sam Fox School National Council. She was active in the Sam Fox Arts Center Executive Committee during the process of planning and realizing two new buildings, the Kemper Art Museum and Walker Hall. In 2008, the University honored Weese with a Distinguished Alumni Award at its Founders Day celebration, and in 2011, the Sam Fox School honored her with its Dean’s Medal for outstanding service.

Weese’s work has won a number of AIA design awards, and has been published and exhibited nationally and internationally. A fellow of the AIA since 1991, she has been awarded two Distinguished Service Awards from AIA Chicago, the Excellence in Education Award from AIA Illinois, and the Tao Sigma Delta Gold Medal in Architecture. In 2017 she was the inaugural recipient of the Chicago Women in Architecture Foundation’s Lifetime Achievement Award.

Parking

Due to Commencement activities and construction, parking on the Danforth Campus is extremely limited. Visit commencement.wustl.edu/visitors for full details.